Roma came into this game in need of a victory to realistically keep the hunt for a finish in the European places alive, and with the Giallorossi winning each of their last three league games on the road, they would have been confident ahead of kick-off.
That run didn’t look like ending anytime soon either, with Claudio Ranieri’s men taking the lead inside the opening minute, as Matías Soulé received the ball just outside the penalty area before bending a sumptuous left-footed strike into the bottom-right corner.
The Giallorossi withstood a small period of pressure after taking the lead, and went close to doubling their advantage midway through the first half when Eldor Shomurodov found Lorenzo Pellegrini inside the penalty area, but the midfielder sent his effort narrowly wide of the left post.
Shomurodov continued to cause the Azzurri problems as the game went on, rattling the crossbar from the centre of the box after a pinpoint pass from Pellegrini.
Ranieri’s men then hit the woodwork again just a few minutes later through Manu Koné, after the French midfielder crashed a shot off the outside of the right post from inside the area.
The game was all Roma after the break, but Empoli’s defence stood strong in the opening stages of the half to keep the Giallorossi’s attack at bay.
Ranieri’s side had a golden opportunity to double their lead with just over an hour played, but Pellegrini’s curled effort towards the top-right corner was clawed away by Marco Silvestri.
Ahead of the game, only three teams had scored fewer in Serie A this season than Empoli, and based on the second half showing from Roberto D’Aversa’s men, it was clear to see why, with the Azzurri looking bereft of ideas.
Ultimately, Empoli were unable to find a way back into the contest as Roma saw out the game, securing a vital win in their pursuit of the European qualification, now sitting four points behind sixth-placed Bologna.
Meanwhile, Empoli continue to flounder in the Serie A’s bottom three, now two points adrift of safety.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Matías Soulé (AS Roma)